ELEVATED WATER LEVELS AT TRAINED RIVER ENTRANCES

Zai Jin You, Peter Nielsen, David Hanslow, Tim Pritchard

Abstract

The south-east coast of Australia has many low-lying areas at river entrances that are vulnerable to coastal inundation due to high water levels elevated by ocean tides, coastal storms, ocean waves and other drivers. The penetration of elevated entrance water levels into rivers can further intensify river flooding associated with high rainfall events. In this study, historical water level data, which were collected continuously at 17 inshore and 5 offshore permanent tide stations along the East Coast of Australia, are used to study effects of tides and waves on water levels at trained river entrances and also to estimate extreme entrance water levels without major entrance rainfall-related flooding.